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Jonny Williams speaks on signing for Eastleigh and hopes to ‘enjoy his football again’

Jonny Williams speaks on his first interview after signing for Eastleigh and hopes to ‘enjoy his football again’.

The 32 year old last played for Gillingham, his time there coming to an end at the end of the 2025/26 season, and spent the summer as part of the PFA squad, keeping fitness up while searching for a new club.

He joins the Spitfires on a permanent deal until the end of the 2026/27 season, subject to National League and FA approval.

Interviewer: “Jonny, welcome to Eastley. How does it feel to be here?”

Jonny: “Yeah, I’m delighted, been with the PFA camp over the summer, staying fit, keeping fit, I’m really looking forward to a new challenge, happy to get everything everything done, there’s a real good feel to the place, yeah, I’m really excited to get going and hopefully have a good season.”

Interviewer: “You had our first your first training session with us today. How was that?”

Jonny: “Really good. Really good, seems like a really good bunch of lads that I’m looking forward to being a part of and helping along the way, good good laughs, good fun, but also a real drive about the group that wants to be successful and and achieve something. So yeah, I can’t wait to be part of that and yeah, everyone seems determined to to do well for the club.”

Interviewer: “You were with Crystal Palace in the early early stages of your career. What was your time there like?”

Jonny: “Yeah, really good. I was there since the age of eight. So it was kind of did the whole journey with with Palace the whole way through the academy and you never really dreamt of playing in the first team and and to do that and you know go and achieve promotion with them as well. Um yeah amazing achievements with my boy boyhood team and yeah still keep a a good eye on how they get on.

Interviewer: “Yeah obviously aside from your time at Palace you spent time at several other Football League clubs. Do you think your experience is one of the biggest things that you’re going to be able to bring to our squad?”

Jonny: “Yeah, I think as you get older, you kind of transition naturally into the more leadership role, one I’ve really enjoyed recent recently in recent times, you obviously want to help on the pitch with your footballing ability and what you can do, but also off the pitch just helping the players around, just breeding confidence, helping helping just helping players feel good about themselves and and if there’s tips that people need on the pitch and off the pitch that that can help as well. I’m happy to provide feedback and also get that off players as well. So, always learning, 32, but still learning all the time and, really looking forward to just helping people around me.”

Interviewer: “Obviously, you’ve represented your country on the international stage. How was all that?”

Jonny: “Yeah, incredible, you know, going to one major tournament, let alone three in the end with Wales, incredible experiences, especially the first one where we managed to reach the semi-finals in the Euros was beyond our wildest dreams. So, yeah, incredible experiences at a young age at the time, and also being part of a really special group of people, and you know, I get a feeling here like there’s a real good group here that and when you connect as a group and on like a human level as well and you when you have that, you you can be surprised at what you can achieve. So, I’m really excited about that as well.”

Interviewer: “What can our supporters expect to see from you in terms of play style?”

Jonny: “Someone that always gives 100%, I like to carry the ball. I like to take touches. Like to drive the team up the pitch, put the team on the front foot, a lot of energy, just all round midfielder really, love to dribble, try and create openings, um, tackle, header, everything. I just all round midfield really.”

Interviewer: “And then just finally, what are your main goals for the season?”

Jonny: “I think firstly to enjoy it. I really want to just enjoy my football again. I’m looking forward to enjoying that at Eastleigh. I think I will and I think I can with this group of players and the management and the you know manager assistant that’s been really really good. So I’m looking forward to working with them. So yeah, first and foremost just enjoy my football again and hopefully we can win a lot of games along the way and um kind of see where we end up. We’ll see.”

Jonny Williams’s career:

Youth
2002–2011 – Crystal Palace

Senior
2011–2019 – Crystal Palace – 70 games (1 goal)
2014-2015 → Ipswich Town (loan) – 20 games (2 goals)
2015–2016 → Nottingham Forest (loan) – 10 games (0 goals)
2016 → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) – 14 games (0 goals)
2016 → Ipswich Town (loan) – 8 games (0 goals)
2017–2018 → Sunderland (loan) – 13 games (1 goal)
2019–2021 – Charlton Athletic – 66 games (2 goals)
2021 – Cardiff City – 9 games (0 goals)
2021–2023 – Swindon Town – 84 games (15 goals)
2023–2026 – Gillingham – 106 games (3 goals)
2026– Eastleigh

International
2007–2009 – Wales U17 – 15 games (1 goals)
2009 – Wales U19 – 5 games (0 goals)
2010–2013 – Wales U21 – 8 games (1 goals)
2013–2022 – Wales – 33 games (2 goals)

Here’s the social media reaction after Jonny Williams speaks on signing for Eastleigh and hopes to ‘enjoy his football again’…

@fivestarjane: How blessed you are! A fabulous footballer and one of the nicest people that god put on this earth. Take good care of him please! ❤️💙❤️💙

@PeterHaigh4: Not as injury prone as some say IMHO. Quality player in the right set up, get it right and he will stand out. Get it wrong (play too slow or too direct) he will struggle.

@stumangan45: Am I allowed to wear my palace kit to the next home game. What a player and even better guy, huge fan favourite at Palace. Can’t wait to see him in a Spitfires kit

@AlfieStfc: That’s a great signing for your level. Love Jonny and wish him well

@Mrs_Hannigram: Loved him when he was at Town. Was gutted when he went. Good luck lad. ❤️🤍❤️🤍

@StfcShaun: Good lucky Jonny, I think he will do a great job for you lot

@davies250395: Hope this works out – seems like a genuinely nice guy

@CalTalksNL: I know this is going to sound like a proper boring statement here – but again it’s one of those ‘can he stay fit?’ moves… Undoubtedly has the talent to flourish at National League level – but just how many games will they get out of him? #Spitfires🔵

@KHall1992: If he stays free from injury this could be one of the biggest signings we’ve made! Unreal stuff from the club to pull this off #Spitfires

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